


Renxi's Ghost Hunting Guide

by rare_cat_meme



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Humor, M/M, Pining, established markhyuck, ghost hunting show, it's more about the behind the scenes of the show, shenanigans of working in a crew, the dreamies are a filming crew
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-09-23 11:35:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17079587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rare_cat_meme/pseuds/rare_cat_meme
Summary: They’re standing in front of the alley and both look up to the street sign. “Some gruesome shit was rumored to happen here” continues Renjun, with a serious tone.“Yeah” happily chimes in Yukhei “cannibalism!” Renjun nods, still serious.or alternatively, Renjun's guide to surviving a team with one shared braincell while having a crush on your co-host.





	1. Horrific Stories of the Calçada of Amparo

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by buzzfeed unsolved, scooby doo and my own experience as a filmmaking student

There’s only three things Huang Renjun has been sure in his life; he’s a fierce bitch who will never let anyone step over him; ghosts and aliens are real; and Wong Yukhei is dumb but in a kind of adorable way and their journey to prove him wrong has been kind of the best thing in Renjun’s life so far, but no one will ever hear that out of his mouth, a bitch needs to have some self respect.

 

“Do we really need to hold hands?” asks Yukhei even though he was the first one to eagerly reach for Renjun’s hands.

 

“Yes, we need as much energy as possible” Renjun mutters slightly annoyed. He sees Yukhei close his eyes and a neck vein protruding and has to inhale to keep his cool “We’re not starting yet, we need to set up first.” he drops Yukhei’s hands, who opens his eyes with a slight frown.

 

“Production!” Donghyuck emerges from the next room with Mark in tow, both looking suspiciously out of breath. Renjun brings his hand to his forehead and inhales sharply. “Guys, please, just the tiniest bit of professionalism.”

 

“Only when our budget is bigger than my mom’s monthly allowance.” shrugs Donghyuck “Which one of you fuckers has my callsheet?”

 

Chenle steps forward with a paper plane.

 

“Does it contain the words ‘make sure Jeno is not recording a cat?” he asks, unfolding it.

 

“That’s the one.” Donghyuck says, ripping the paper out of Chenle’s hands, giving him the backpack he brought in return.

 

“For the séance we need” he squints at the small letters “three candles.” Chenle pulls out three birthday candles, one blue and white striped 7, one yellow 9 and one pink 10. Renjun stares at them, incredulous. _ Disappointed but not surprised _ . The room is deathly silent, which is  _ awfully convenient. _

 

“Why is there no 8?” whispers Chenle. Donghyuck grins, a glint in his eyes.

 

“Cause seven eight nine.” if crickets were alive in the middle of winter, they would have made  _ that _ sound “Anyways, Markie, light them up cause you’re the adult.” There’s a huff and  _ an adult  _ Renjun is pretty sure it was emitted by Mark himself “We also need a food offering in the center.”

 

Renjun turns back to his research notes, reading back all he needs to say on camera. Yukhei leans his chin on Renjun’s head, looking down at the paper too. He also puts his hands on Renjun’s shoulders, gently massaging them. If Renjun’s cheeks are burning, no one will ever know cause only the roto lights they brought are pointing towards the opposite wall.

 

“No need to flex your height on me.” comes out shakily. He feels Yukhei’s throaty laugh reverb on his back.

 

“Whatever,” he doesn’t move “I’m cold, share your energy with me.” Renjun huffs, but doesn’t move away as well. 

 

There’s a screech behind then.

 

“Jisung, you hungry fuck!” Donghyuck’s pitchy voice echoes in the empty room “Why did you eat our offering? You’re gonna offend the ghosts and we’re gonna die!” he screeches. 

 

Renjun turns to them - with Yukhei still in tow - and sees in Donghyuck’s hand a half eaten digestive cookie. Yukhei’s hands are faster than Renjun’s body, coming down to his waist and holding him firmly in place.

 

“Who the fuck thought a fucking digestive cookie was a good ‘food offering’?” Renjun roars out, charging (or trying to, thanks to Yukhei) at Donghyuck, who shrieks, hiding behind Mark. “You had one fucking job, Jesus I sent you all the shit you had to bring!”

 

Chenle, Jeno, Jaemin and Jisung watch from the side next to the camera tripods, boom pole and roto lights. The room’s window opens suddenly, banging harshly against the moldy wall. Everyone goes quiet, looking wide eyed at source of noise. Renjun feels a shiver run down his neck and inhales sharply. Yukhei brings him closer, rubbing his thumbs gently on Renjun’s waist.

 

“Y’all giving off bad energy, we still have food; if ghosts are real” Renjun looks back at him sharply “I bet they don’t even care what kind of food you’re offering, how are they even going to eat it?” he frowns at the cookie.

 

“Can we uh get the fuck going?” suggests Mark, who checks his wrist watch ”It’s almost 11pm and we still have to do the entire segment on the actual alley.” everyone nods, moving to their designated places. 

 

Renjun and Yukhei sit on the small table facing each other, the candles and half eaten cookie between them. Jisung moves the fill light to Renjun’s right, looking back at Jeno, who’s setting up the camera, awaiting confirmation. Mark has the headphones on and his eyes closed while he moves the levels on the sound recorder, listening intently. Jaemin is holding the clapperboard and writing with a pink chalk marker, listening to Donghyuck’s reading of the A.D. checklist. Chenle is playing candy crush. Jaemin claps his hands.

 

“Alright squad!” Renjun whisper yells  _ crew  _ “Is everyone ready?”

 

A fews  _ readys _ echo.

 

“Sound?” 

 

“Rolling.” says Mark.

 

“Camera?”

 

“Rolling.” say Jeno and Jisung in unison.

 

“Alright” Jaemin holds the clapperboard in front of the camera “Scene 4, shot 1, take 1.” the click is sharp.

 

“Action!” says Donghyuck.

 

☽

 

“On this week’s episode of  _ Renxi’s Ghost Hunting Guide _ we cover the horrific stories of the Calçada of Amparo in Macau as part of our ongoing journey to prove Yukhei  _ he’s fucking wrong _ ” Renjun recites the introduction of the show, Yukhei gives his toothy grin and thumbs up to the camera. They’re standing in front of the alley and both look up to the street sign. “Some gruesome shit was rumoured to happen here” continues Renjun, with a serious tone.

 

“Yeah” happily chimes in Yukhei “cannibalism!” Renjun nods, still serious. They turn their backs to the camera and walk into the alley. He can hear the rushed footsteps of all of them, trying to maintain a steady shot.

 

“The colonization of Macau started in the mid 16th century” Renjun continues, turning back to the camera “and was gradually occupied by Portuguese sailors who brought prosperity and soon turned it into an important commercial point between China, Europe and Japan.” Yukhei nods along “The city grew a lot, but in an unorganized, unplanned way, leading to a high amount of patios and alleyways being accidentally constructed.” They stop in front of a blueish gray bricked arch.

 

“Which brings us to Calçada - alleyway - of Amparo and the building behind us.” Yukhei  _ ohhhhs _ , looking upwards with wide eyes.  _ Cute _ . Behind the camera Donghyuck gives him thumbs up with a satisfied smile.

 

“Cut!” he claps “Great take guys, onto the patio!”

 

Mark brings the boom pole closer to him, carrying it vertically with only one hand, while the other is intertwined with Donghyuck’s, who’s happily swinging it with his shotlist and callsheets on the other side. Renjun rolls his eyes, walking hurriedly into the patio. 

 

“Junnie” whines Yukhei behind him “wait for me!” he runs to catch up, but miscalculates the little space between them, bulldozing Renjun down on the cold concrete “Oh my God!” he gasps out.

 

Renjun groans out in pain, but quickly pulls himself up. Except he doesn’t because Yukhei moves downwards to help him up at the same time and they bump into each other again. This time Yukhei holds him up,  _ but also this time _ their faces are pretty much glued together and Renjun can see the non-existent pores on Yukhei’s skin - _ leak the skin care routine please  _ \- and how much prettier he is up close.  _ Boom boom boom boom _ .  _ Not a great time for cardiac arrest, to be honest _ . With a burning face - thank god it’s the middle of winter and flushed faces are common - Renjun takes a quick step back, brushing off non-existent dirt of his jacket,  _ like non-existent feelings off his non-existent love life.  _ Yukhei laughs it off awkwardly, sitting down at the steps in front of the big entrance door.

 

“So, what’s next?”

 

☽

 

“In 1685 the Qing government opened several ports for international trade and created the ‘Guangdong Maritime Customs Services’, commonly known as  _ Dai Guan _ .” Chenle is holding the script next to the camera. Jeno is looking intently at the small monitor, while Mark is focused on the tip of the mic. Donghyuck has the script in hand and Jaemin is watching both him and Yukhei with crossed arms. He looks awfully serious which would be disturbing if Renjun didn’t know how Jaemin gets when he’s wearing his director’s assistant pants.

 

Yukhei and him are sitting down at the front steps of the traditional chinese mansion. It’s just past midnight and it’s getting increasingly colder. Renjun discreetly pulls his jacket closer to himself while folding his arms and exhales, watching his breath condensate. They need to hurry up.

 

“It was one of the largest custom services in China when a branch office was opened in Macau,  _ Guan Bo Hang Toi _ .” continues Renjun in is his ‘historical-documentary-old-dude-narrator’ voice. 

 

“What did they do here?” asks Yukhei “Macao is so tiny.”

 

“Mostly supervising the foreign merchant ships, taxes and duties; basically taking care of any bureaucracies or whatever kind of bullshit before ships proceeded to Guangzhou.” lists Renjun. “You know, Calçada of Amparo literally translates to alleyway of big customhouse.” They both snort, trying not to laugh too loud.

 

“Very creative.” adds Yukhei grinning. Renjun grins back.

 

“The original building was demolished in 1849 and afterwards this area was sold to Chinese merchants who decided to build a typical Chinese mansion, designed according to Feng Shui principles.” Renjun turns sideways, gesturing at the large building behind them. Yukhei laughs lightly.

 

“How fitting. What is it now?”

 

“An abandoned building.”

 

“Oh. Are we breaking in?” Yukhei fakes surprise, as if they hadn’t just performed an entire freaking séance in the abandoned -  _ and terrifying _ , may Renjun add - mansion.  _ Magic of editing _ . 

 

“In a bit.” says Renjun with a mischievous smile “Let me run you through some of the stories about this place.” Jisung takes his queue to turn off the fill and backlight light. Renjun and Yukhei sit closer, thighs glued together and Renjun takes out a flashlight from his pocket, illuminating them from the bottom.

 

“During WWII this place was known as  _ Cannibal Alley _ ” he whispers, pausing. Donghyuck is holding Mark’s audio recorder and moving the levels. Mark nods at him. “There was a shortage of food in that time and there were rumors of someone going around killing fat people.”

 

Yukhei is holding in his laugh.

 

“Is that considered fat shaming?” he asks. Renjun scratched his nose, considering.

 

“Kind of? Or maybe...” he hums “Supposedly they were being killed for their meat, so that meant they were  _ valuable _ ; it wasn’t like  _ a hate crime _ ...” Yukhei nods in agreement.

 

“Apparently one of  _ the actual narrated stories _ was about this fat lady who was walking by late one night and was never seen again. No names though.” shrugs Renjun “Urban legend says that she was murdered cause a local restaurant was short on meat so they killed her to make pork buns.”

 

“Ew, I bet they tasted disgusting.”

 

“Now you’re fat shaming.”

 

“Dude, if there was a food shortage people were probably eating dirt at some point.” Renjun shrugs unconcerned.

 

“Still better than some shitty 21st century fast food, am I right ladies?” Jaemin and Donghyuck  _ woohoo _ behind the camera. Jisung shakes his head in distaste.

 

“Anyways, another rumored story was that people were not being murdered, but kidnapped and locked into this mansion. It caught on fire once, supposedly killing everyone. It’s said that if you come here at night you can hear the cries of angst.” Renjun claps his hands, rubbing them together “Which is why we are here at” he checks his watch “Thirty past midnight, to maybe talk to some of the victims of this horrible-”

 

“ _ Rumoured _ ” adds Yukhei. Renjun huffs, annoyed.

 

“Incident.”

 

☽

 

“Spirits of the past, move among us,” the candles on the table flicker almost imperceptibly “Be guided by the light of this world and visit upon us.”

 

Renjun’s eyes are shut and he’s scrunching his face together. He can hear Donghyuck’s wheezy giggles and Mark’s  _ shhh.  _ Yukhei’s hands are very big compared to his and they’re very warm.  _ It’s not like you didn’t think he was hot _ , supplies his brain. It kind of sounds like Donghyuck.  _ Shut up _ . He can feel the dampness of his own hands and hopes Yukhei is not disgusted.

 

“Anyone with us?” he hears fabric rustling and opens one eye. Chenle has his hand up “Anyone _ not alive _ ?” Chenle lowers his hand.

 

Silence. The atmosphere of the room feels stale.

 

“Bang the window once if you wanna communicate with us” starts Yukhei “bang it twice if you want us to leave.”

 

The window moves lightly against the wall.  _ Twice _ .

 

“You call that a bang? Pathetic.” Yukhei continues.

 

“Xuxi!” grits out Renjun “We don’t want to anger them!” he opens his eyes, looking up “Mr. ghost? Ms.? Ghosts-shi?”

 

The entire crew bursts out laughing. Jaemin has his hands on his knees and is gasping for air. Donghyuck has his head thrown back and has tears running down his face. Mark is wildly swinging the boom pole with the mic while choking out cackles. Chenle is the loudest, the screeching dolphin like laugh piercing through everyone’s ears. Jeno is laughing silently behind the camera, eyes replaced with two thin curvy lines. Jisung has curled into a ball, back to the scene. And Yukhei, _ fucking Yukhei _ , is shaking, still holding hands with Renjun, but has his mouth wide open and is pretty much screaming in amusement. 

 

The window bangs again, this time with full force. The candles go out. If Renjun screeches while jumping the fuck out of his chair, no one will know because Chenle and Donghyuck scream as well. 

 

“We are out!” screams Renjun, who picks up one of the roto lights and zooms out the door.

 

☽

 

It’s about to hit 3am, they’re all sitting at the kitchen table in the air b’n’b they rented out for the night. Donghyuck has his production journal on the table, pen scribbling away. They table is filled with snacks, and despite all the tiredness everyone is eating.

 

“So, Jisung and Jeno, how’s your editing schedule going to look like?” asks Donghyuck quietly before biting an apple.

 

“We’ve reviewed most of the rushes, we’ve got more than enough” says Jeno whilst spreading peanut butter on a piece of toast “Mark has put all the sound files in my computer so Jisung is going to synchronize the best clips tonight so we can have a first rough edit by the time we get to our next location.” Jisung groans and Jeno grins, biting his toast. Donghyuck nods while taking notes.

 

“Can I tell Johnny we’ll have the next episode done by the time we finish filming in Hong Kong?” Jeno gives him thumbs up “Junnie, how’s the script coming along?”

 

“Mostly done, just need to check if I can find any other information.” explains Renjun “I’ll send it to you before we leave tomorrow.” Donghyuck hums in acknowledgement.

 

“Nana, anything we need to get before going?”

 

“Is anyone out of batteries?” asks Jaemin after carefully reading his checklist. No one replies “We’re good to go. What time do we leave?” Donghyuck pulls out his own schedule.

 

“12:35” he looks up “So, everyone, charge your things, pack up and get some sleep. Jisung you can sleep on the train tomorrow. We need to leave by 11:30.” Everyone hums at slightly different times.

 

“How are the sleep arrangements going to be?” chimes in Yukhei quietly. Donghyuck gets up, a hand on his hip.

 

“There’s two rooms with twin beds, a room with a bunk bed and the couch.” he grabs his journal distractedly “I - very humbly, may I add - suggest Yukhei and Renjun share a room since they’re the only ones who actually need to look well rested. Mark and I can share a bed.” _ No funny business _ whispers Jisung. Donghyuck ignores him “Chenle has already taken over the couch.” Curled up in one of the corners is Chenle passed out “So just like call dibs on the bunk beds I guess.” Jaemin and Jeno put their hands up quietly.

 

“It’s settled then” says Jaemin, getting up from the table “I’m gonna call it a night, see you guys tomorrow.”

 

Several goodnights are heard. Yukhei and Donghyuck get up too after a while and Jeno goes to bed after finishing copying all the rushes to an external disc just in case. Jisung moves to the living room to work. Mark and Renjun stay quiet, sipping on tea and eating snacks every once in a while. It’s Mark who breaks the silence.

 

“What was up with you and Xuxi today?” he asks amused.

 

“What do you mean?” Renjun fakes confusion. Mark gives him a pointed look and he huffs.

 

“We were normal and friendly, what’s wrong with that? Taeyong said we should be more friendly on the show.” he answers, still avoiding the subject. Mark hums with a small smile.

 

“Taeyong also said sound and producers should never get mixed up, but look at us now.”

 

“You never _ actually  _ work together” says Renjun “It’s not a fair comparison.”

 

“As if  _ that’s _ your  _ true _ concern.”  _ Busted _ .

 

“Like you care.” Renjun looks down his cup of tea.  _ Jasmine _ , that Yukhei brewed for him while he showered.  _ Without him asking!  _ He blushes at the thought. Mark turns to him.

 

“I do” he says softly “I know you care a lot about the show and you’re afraid of how that might interfere with the dynamic. But you’re allowed to give it a shot you know?” Renjun looks back at Mark.

 

“What if it all goes to shit? All our work? Our team?” he whispers back.

 

“It won’t.” Mark answers, a genuine calmness “Everyone is level headed enough. Would you take sides if Hyuck and I broke up?” Renjun thinks about it.

 

“Unless someone fucks shit up, no, I wouldn’t.” 

 

“One of us would follow our way, someone new would come in.” he shrugs as if everything is  _ that easy _ “Just cause you found one group you can work with and enjoy your time together doesn’t mean everyone else is unfitted.” They sit in silence again. Renjun speaks first this time.

 

“Were you possessed by some wise ass ghost in the alleyway?”

 

☽

 

There’s only Renjun left in the kitchen. It’s almost 4am and he’s scrolling mindlessly through instagram  _ clearly avoiding something _ . A picture of Donghyuck and Mark pops up and Renjun rolls his eyes. It’s from a few hours ago when they were walking around before filming; Donghyuck has his arms around Mark’s neck and is kissing his cheek, while Mark is smiling towards the camera. They’re in front of the casino, illuminated by the colorful lights. It’s a cute couple picture and there’s a tug at Renjun’s heart when he remembers walking through the same place and Yukhei wanting to take a picture.  _ This could be us.  _

 

After the third selfie of Jeno and a cat he found in the streets of Macau, Renjun calls it a night. Jisung fell asleep next to Chenle, computer still in his lap. He saves all the work and shuts it down. He puts a blanket over Jisung and turns off the lights of the living room. Tiptoeing into his and Yukhei’s room, the door creaks and he cringes, not wanting to wake him up. Yukhei is passed out on the left side of the bed. Renjun walks quietly towards the right side, while setting up an alarm to 10am. As he’s about sit down on the bed, Yukhei opens his eyes and screams, scaring Renjun, who throws his phone at Yukhei’s face.

 

“Ow, why did you do that?” Yukhei whines whispering, rubbing his cheek. 

 

“You scared me, I went into fight or flight mode.” Renjun climbs into the bed, turning on the bedside table lamp “Let me see” Yukhei sits up, leaning closer to Renjun.

 

He grabs Yukhei’s face, gently turning it to the side to inspect the injury. His cheek is red and will likely bruise. Renjun frowns, fingers gently caressing the area.

 

“It might bruise. We’ll have to ask Hyuck to cover it up before the shoot tomorrow.” Yukhei hisses quietly “Sorry!” yelps Renjun.

 

“Kiss it better.” he says with a pout. Renjun looks at him incredulously. 

 

Maybe it’s the fact that it’s past 4am and no one ever has braincells after midnight, or maybe Yukhei’s pout has some sort of magnetic waves controlling bullshit but Renjun actually leans in and carefully kisses Yukhei’s cheek. It’s almost burning, just like Renjun’s own face.

 

“There, all better.” he says, avoiding any eye contact “Go to sleep, we got a big day ahead tomorrow.” he pushes Yukhei back onto the bed and turns his back to him, turning off the lamp and laying on his side.

 

“Goodnight Junnie.” says Yukhei.

 

“Night Xuxi” whispers Renjun and wonders if Yukhei’s heart is also threatening to beat it’s way out of his chest.


	2. The Chilling Hello Kitty murder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Yeah.” Renjun scrunches his face in pretend disgust. “Oh, as if you’re not head over heels for Xuxi.” scoffs Jaemin.
> 
> “Unfollowed, unfriended, blocked in real life.” Renjun crosses his arms, burying his red cheeks in his long scarf “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a little warning: there's mentions of torture, drug addiction and murder. nothing graphic and no details, but if you don't want to read that specifically, just jump the parts where they're shooting - you won't miss the plot.
> 
> huge thanks to [jinnieshyun](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jinnieshyun/pseuds/jinnieshyun) for beta'ing this chapter!

Renjun takes a relieved breath as the 8 of them finally take their seats on the boat to Hong Kong. It was an - unexpectedly - rushed morning; Jaemin woke up late, Mark was grumpy because they didn’t have time for coffee; Jisung forgot his charger and they had to go back. Not a good way to start the day. He looks behind to check if everyone is in _ just in case _ . Mark and Donghyuck are next to each other, the older fast asleep for once (without caffeine,   _ obviously _ ) and Donghyuck leaning on his shoulder playing with his nintendo,  _ check _ . Behind them are Yukhei and Chenle in a very deep conversation, also playing some type of console game, _ check _ . Jisung and Jeno are at the very back leaning over Jeno’s laptop working on the episode they shot,  _ check _ .

 

“They didn’t have any tea so I brought you some orange juice.” Jaemin says, occupying his seat next to Renjun.

 

“Blasphemy.” he says dryly, but still takes the bottle. Jaemin giggles quietly, while Renjun looks out the window and leans his head on Jaemin’s shoulders. The latter hums contently, always craving some sort of physical affection.

 

“Why are so clingy? Not that I’m complaining but...” He says with a grin, “Did Yukhei not cuddle you last night?” Renjun huffs.

 

“Shut up. Don’t you have someone else to annoy?”

 

“I do, but he’s at work. I can’t bother him so I guess I have to settle for you.” there’s a mischievous grin on Jaemin’s face. _ Wait a fucking second _ .

 

“Bitch!” whisper yells Renjun. “Did you get yourself a boyfriend and not tell me? I thought we were best bitches for life.” he whines, aggressively shaking Jaemin’s shoulders. He’s still grinning.

 

“It’s pretty recent, we’re not even in the ‘boyfriend’ phase yet.” he says with a dreamy look in his eyes.  _ Whipped _ . 

 

“Do I need to beat anyone?” Jaemin laughs.

 

“Not yet.” Renjun gives him a pointed look, _ spill _ “Ok fine. I haven’t said anything because it’s someone from the company and, as I said, we’re very fresh, so we’re laying low.” he shrugs. Renjun lets out a pained whine.

 

“What’s with y’all and forbidden relationships?” he hisses “Can’t you date out of the office?” Jaemin rolls his eyes.

 

“With the time we spend making content nowadays? No fucking way.”

 

Renjun huffs, but stops to consider. Jaemin does have a point.

 

“Will it interfere with our team?”

 

“No, he’s from the radio department.” Renjun hums in acknowledgement. 

 

“Does he make you happy?” Jaemin’s eyes have a twinkle.

 

“Yeah.” Renjun scrunches his face in pretend disgust. “Oh, as if you’re not head over heels for Xuxi.” scoffs Jaemin.

 

“Unfollowed, unfriended, blocked in real life.” Renjun crosses his arms, burying his red cheeks in his long scarf “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

 

“Too bad, I do.” Jaemin says as if they’re discussing the next case they’re going to cover.  _ Rude _ . “Why the fuck are you not doing anything? Xuxi is all over you, giving you all the signs he’s into you and you do nothing? What’s that about?”

 

“ _ Nana, _ ” he says quietly, “Not everything is easy like fucking the guy from the sound department. Some of us don’t wanna live on the edge of being fired.” He’s lucky that Jaemin never takes his angry words to heart, having known him for too long, but there’s still a hurt look on his face.

 

“Junnie, I thought Mark and Donghyuck would be a perfect example for you, but I guess your stupid aries ass can’t fucking process anything other than your stupid  _ precious work _ . Boo hoo” he says nonchalantly “Your loss buddy, Yukhei’s a catch. Honestly can’t believe how he puts up with you.”

 

Renjun lifts himself up, leaning on the window instead of Jaemin’s shoulder. He huffs angrily. Jaemin brings his closed fists to his face, imitating a baby crying jokingly. He then grins.

 

“When you’re done being fake angry with me come back to cuddle, I’m cold.” and he  _ dares _ to pout.

 

Renjun turns his head to the window. Then looks at his watch. 4 hours to go.  _ Yikes _ . He leans back on Jaemin’s shoulder, but angrily.

 

“Thought so.” Jaemin says triumphantly.

 

“Shut up.” 

 

❆

 

It’s mid afternoon when they arrive at their tiny apartment rented for the night. Yukhei, a Hong Kong natural, proved to be pretty useful for the choice of location. Donghyuck is overflowing in satisfaction at the deal he was able to get for their accomodation and therefore is in a great mood. Him, Jaemin and Renjun decide to do some location scouting while there’s still daylight and the others unpack and get the equipment ready for the night’s shoot. 

They have decided to shoot the introductory segment on the Avenue of Stars, where they can have a night skyline with pretty lights. As they make their way there, some doubts start to come up.

 

“In what order should we film?” Jaemin has a blank schedule on his notebook. 

 

Donghyuck hums, thinking. “Ideally, the intro and the first big chunk of the story here” he points vaguely at a spot on the avenue “and the rest of the story outside of the hotel, maybe a bit in the lobby and while walking inside and the ‘spiritual calling’ in the hotel room.”

 

“What are the odds that they let us film in the hotel room? Scratch that, what are the odds they let us film in the hotel?” asks Jaemin, a hint of worry. Donghyuck scratches his neck.

 

“That depends on how much charming I can do.” he laughs it off, but it’s humorless “If anything we’ll shoot on the street the segment and do the whole ghost thing back in the apartment.” Renjun scoffs.

 

“Yeah, because then ‘ _ the ghost thing _ ’ will be as real as it can be.” The sarcastic tone sours the mood in 0.3 seconds. “It’s the whole premise of our show, for fuck’s sake, I’m not faking it just because you didn’t do your job Donghyuck!” Donghyuck bristles at Renjun’s harsh tone.

 

“You could’ve done it yourself! You’re the one who’s fucking Chinese.” Donghyuck’s glare is digging holes in his face, but Renjun never backs down.

 

“Oh wait,” he says dramatically pulling out the callsheet. “Whose name is it on the producer tab? That’s fucking right, Lee Donghyuck. Sorry I was too busy writing  _ the fucking content of the entire season _ to help you with a thing you could’ve asked Yukhei, but boo hoo it’s my fucking fault, ain’t it?” They’re eye to eye, and for once Renjun is glad it’s Donghyuck he’s arguing with since the later is not much taller than he is.

 

“Alright ladies, let’s stop bitching and get back to work.” Jaemin steps in between. They both open their mouth to shut him up, but he quickly put his index fingers over their mouths. “Are we going to continue arguing about who should’ve done what or are we going to solve this?” They both step away and breathe in, turning in the direction of the hotel.

 

“Uh uh,” tuts Jaemin. “There’s something missing.” Renjun presses his lips, annoyed, and Donghyuck rolls his eyes.

 

“I’m sorry I accused of not doing something that wasn’t of your responsibility.” mutters Donghyuck.

 

“You’re forgiven.” says Renjun. “I’m sorry I accused you of not doing your job when you clearly could’ve used my help.” They nod at each other. Jaemin steps in the middle, throwing his arms over both his and Donghyuck’s neck.

 

“Very good!” he says grinning “Now let’s go children!”

 

“We’re older than you.” scoff Renjun and Donghyuck at the same time. Jaemin laughs, delighted.

 

“You’re so predictable...”

 

❆

 

“Alright squad!” Renjun doesn’t even correct Jaemin anymore. “Here’s a breakdown of the plan. We’re gonna start earlier today, film the intro segment and an overview of the case in the Avenue of Stars at the sunset. Jeno and Jisung, we want the sky line in the back with all the pretty lights, kay? Mark, the wind isn’t supposed to be too much of a problem, but there might be a few people walking around so keep that in mind; don’t forget the dead cat.” Jaemin lists off quickly.

 

“Next we’re doing the hotel room, straight up. The hotel manager gave us an hour in one of the rooms, no permission to film anything else. So we’re doing the ouija board take there and we have to _yeet_ outta there in no time.” his lips are pressed. “Then we’ll finish in the street with the large chunk of story. Junnie, do you wanna talk about the board?” 

 

“Yeah.” He gets up and leans over the dinning table, making sure everyone is paying attention. “Guys, for this one I’m going to need you to be a little more respectful.” He looks pointedly at Yukhei, who nods. “Ouija boards are not toys; they require a bunch of variables to be controlled so it works peacefully and we don’t unknowingly hurt anyone. I don’t care if you believe the supernatural or not, today I need you to be really quiet and focused during the session. No noise whatsoever.” The look is pointed at Chenle. “If we get a responsive ghost you  _ have _ to be polite. No dumb questions. Nothing too complicated. Don’t ask for physical manifestation and don’t believe everything that might show up. Don’t invite anything and if we need to leave for whatever reason, don’t forget to say goodbye. It’s like closing the door. Any questions?”

 

Mark puts his hand up. “What happens if we don’t close it?”

 

“We don’t wanna find out.” Renjun says pointedly.

 

“I’m gonna run through the checklist.” steps in Donghyuck. “Camera men, equipment?”

 

“Check.”

 

“Sound?”

 

“Check.”

 

“Production? Check.” he chuckles to himself. “Chenle, you got the board?” There’s a rattle noise and Chenle pulls up a box. “Okay, check.”

 

“Hosts, script?”

 

“Check.” Renjun says.

 

“A.D., you good?”

 

“Aye aye.” says Jaemin.

 

“Then let’s roll!”

 

❆

 

“On this week’s episode of  _ Renxi’s Ghost Hunting Guide _ we cover the chilling Hello Kitty murder in Hong Kong as part of our ongoing journey to prove Yukhei  _ he’s fucking wrong. _ ” says Renjun with a cheery voice for a change. “This episode is special because not only is Yukhei from Hong Kong, but this murder happened in 1999, his birth year!” They’re leaning on the railing with their back turned to the harbour. Yukhei gasps.

 

“That’s so thoughtful of you Junnie!” he says with a cheery tone as well and proceeds to hug Renjun sideways. _ Ohmygodohmygodohmygod.  _ Jaemin and Donghyuck are watching with evil grins.

 

“It’s nothing” he says weakly. _ Please Jeno and Jisung, cut this out _ . “Let’s get on with it, this one is lengthy!” They turn sideways, walking slowly along the path.

 

“So today we’re going to talk about Fan Man-yee, who was kidnapped and murdered and later police discovered her head sewn onto a giant Hello Kitty plushie because the ‘girlfriend‘” he makes quotation marks with his hands “ I’m going to use the term girlfriend loosely and you’ll understand later - of one of the kidnappers went to the police complaining she was being haunted by Man-yee’s ghost. The building where she was locked in was demolished in 2012 and is now a hotel.”

 

“And that’s where we’re heading.” says Yukhei.

 

❆

 

They have to take two separate elevators to get to the room. Renjun’s willing to bet there were other rooms available in the first floor and that the receptionist was just being an ass. He did try with his most polite tone to explain the production they were making but as soon as he mentioned the case the man was very obviously put off. One hour is nothing and Renjun has a bad feeling just walking into the building. It feels like things are about to go to shit. Yukhei seems to sense his discomfort, gently locking pinkies with him. He looks up to him, getting a small but meaningful smile. He smiles back. 

 

The elevator dings, 5th floor. At the end of the hallway Jaemin and Donghyuck are opening the door with Jeno and Jisung in tow. Renjun marches up to them with Yukhei, Mark and Chenle behind him. 

 

The room is awfully tiny and Renjun feels himself getting increasingly more frustrated. He swallows it up though, trusting the team. They set up in record time, everyone in place, the ouija board on the floor awaiting them. Yukhei and him kneel down, Renjun gulping.  _ This feels awfully wrong _ . The back of his neck is sweating.

 

“Alright, is everyone ready?” A  _ yeah _ is said in unison. “Great, sound?”

 

“Rolling.”

 

“Camera?”

 

“Rolling.” Jaemin stretches his arms, placing the clapperboard in front of the camera.

 

“Scene 4, Shot 1, Take 1.”  _ Click. _

 

“Action!” Donghyuck whispers.

 

They both bring their hands to the pointer. Yukhei looks at him awaiting instructions. Renjun inhales. He moves the pointer in a circle three times, Yukhei following.

 

“Ouija, ouija, ouija.” It’s very quiet. “We ask of you of no profanity or negativity. Communicate with us through the board and only the board and that anyone here is not affected by anything negative.” He breathes in and out, concentrating, then nodding at Yukhei.

 

“Is anyone here?” he asks. The tension is palpable. Nothing happens. Renjun decides to change the approach.

 

“Is anyone here related to the murder of Fan Man-yee?” His voice is steady - as much as he can with the amount of anxiety pilling up. 

 

It’s very gentle, but there. The pointer awfully slowly moves to the ‘Hello’ inscription. Yukhei looks at him wide eyed, but keeps his promise and remains quiet. Renjun’s forehead feels damp.

 

“Alright...” he hesitates, unsure of what to ask “Hello. Are you by chance evil?” The pointer moves to the ‘no’. Even though he knows not to trust anything that comes out of the board, there’s a tiny bit of relief. 

 

“Can you by chance gives us a bit of insight on this murder?”

 

❆

 

“Fan Man-yee had a troubled past before this case occurred.” explains Renjun in a fake attempt at calmness in the streets of Hong Kong. “She was abandoned by her family when she was a child and was raised in a girls’ home. By the time she was a teen she had already developed a drug addiction and needed means to support it.” The hair on his nape is standing up just saying that as he remembers the ouija session in the hotel.

 

It was a terrible shoot: the equipment kept losing battery, memory cards not saving anything and the lights burning off. Everything went to shit. And worse than that, everyone kept fighting. Mark and Donghyuck went off about the disappearance of the dead cat - Mark swearing he brought it and Donghyuck getting more pissed about the fact that they may have lost it. Jeno thinks Jisung ruined their lights and is not letting him hand any equipment. Jaemin was livid at the news of no footage in the memory cards and is now sulking behind the camera. It’s just him a Yukhei now.

 

“When she was 23 she had secured a job as a night hostess in a club. That’s how in early 1999 Man-yee met Chan Man-lok – who was 34 at the time and a frequenter of the club – and she became part of his group.” Yukhei is listening intently, not particularly keen on adding any commentary. Renjun can’t really blame him. “Later on, desperate for money, Man-yee stole from him about $4,000. When Man-lok found out he enlisted two of his henchmen to kidnap her with the intention of making her earn back the money she had stolen.”

 

“He had henchmen?” asks Yukhei. Renjun can tell he’s forcibly reaching for some interaction.

 

“Yeah, he was kind of a gang leader? Not really gang but, you know… he had money, so people leached onto him and if he asked for favours they’d obviously comply.” explains Renjun. “The two men were Leung Shing-cho, 27, and Leung Wai-lun, 21. They brought her and apartment in Granville Road, 31, where they kept her prisoner for over one month.”

 

“Which is the building behind us, right?”

 

“Yes it is. Well, the original building was demolished in 2012.”

 

“And this is now a hotel. Ugh, bad karma.” Yukhei adds. There’s nothing funny they can add.

 

There are no smiles behind the camera and Renjun wants to scream in agony. Whatever was behind that ouija board session was  _ not good _ . His gut feeling was right: the energy in that hotel was evil and there was no way that could’ve have turned out decent or funny. It certainly latched on, no one is in a chirpy mood and even he and Yukhei – who have miraculously not fought yet – can’t relax. The atmosphere is not right and he’s about 75% sure Jeno and Jisung won’t have much to work with in the post production of this episode. He’s already mentally preparing himself to scratch off this episode out of the season. Taeyong is  _ not _ going to be happy. Beijing needs to be  _ the absolute best _ . 

 

“The men decided soon after kidnapping her that making her pay back the money wasn’t enough.” He swallows anxiously as the next words fall out of his mouth. “Over the course of a month they subjected Man-yee to several methods of torture.” Out of all the cases they had covered so far, this one was by far the hardest for him to research and write. All the others were so impersonal and had happened so long ago it was relatively easy to talk about. This one, however, had so many gruesome details that could not be taken impersonally and Renjun can’t bring himself to recite them to the camera.

 

“I’m not gonna go into detail about it,” he says shakily. Yukhei glues himself to his side. “But Man-yee died overnight after a month. The cause has not been discovered but there’s a suspicion it was either an overdose or from her injuries. She was found by the ‘girlfriend’ of Man-lok, the same one who reported the murder to police claiming she was being haunted by the ghost of Man-yee. Police found her head inside a Hello Kitty plushie, just like the girl had said. Thankfully she testified against the 3 men, who were sentenced to life in prison.”

 

“And what happened to the girl?” It seems like there are no good questions for this case.

 

“She was 14 at the time, so after she testified she was given a new identity and that’s all we know.”

 

“Oh.” Yukhei’s face reflects how Renjun’s feeling. There’s a pause, usually for dramatic timing, but this time just to let everything sink in.

 

“Well, and that’s a wrap people! Thank you for joining us this week and we’ll see you next on...” Renjun tries to conclude to the best of his abilities.

 

“Renxi’s Ghost Hunting Guide!” says Yukhei and it’s too obvious the cheery voice is fake.

 

“Cut!” interjects Donghyuck, who doesn’t even add any positive notes.  _ Well shit _ .

 

As the team packs up silently, Yukhei whispers to him.

 

“Are you ok? You were pretty shaken after the hotel.” He has a slight frown, a clear face of concern that tugs at Renjun’s heart, who nods curtly.

 

“I’m fine. It was just the whole one hour to shoot and using the board and-” Yukhei hugs him unexpectedly.

 

“I know you’re upset about this shoot. Don’t worry, sometimes things don’t go well. We got loads of others that went well. We’ll survive.” Renjun’s throat is tight.

 

“Ok. Thank you.” he whispers. Yukhei squeezes him tightly then lets go. Renjun misses his warmness instantly. Yukhei grins and turns to the team.

 

“C’mon guys, let’s go home!” No one pays attention to him.

 

_ Oh boy _ .

 

❆

 

It’s like a deja vú from Macau, except instead of the tired, hungry but content team, Hong Kong gets a hangry ( _ hungry and angry _ ) and passive aggressive group of gremlins.

 

“So, how much of the memory cards did you manage to salvage?” asks Donghyuck calmly. Jeno looks pissed and Jisung nervously scratches his neck.

 

“Well, hum, so we thought only one of the cameras wasn’t shooting right?” he stammers. “We can’t find-”

 

“ _ You lost _ .” hisses Jeno. Jisung looks like he wants to be buried 6 feet under.

 

“I lost the other camera’s memory card.” He looks at the floor. Donghyuck inhales and pinches his own nose.

 

“ _ You lost a fucking- _ ” his tone is cold. Jisung looks terrified.

 

“Like it matters anyway, the hotel was a shit show.” cuts in Mark tiredly. “At least we have the outside scene with the history part.” 

 

“With the sound all fucked up because _ someone  _ lost our dead cat!” Donghyuck glares at Mark. “And now we have a camera that is worth nothing because there’s no memory card to fill up! Great job guys, we are _ so _ going to get that promo!” he says in a sickeningly sweet voice. Renjun doesn’t even try to argue with him, mostly because he’s right.

 

“Hyuck, it’s just a memory card, we can get a new one tomorrow.” says Mark softly, getting up from his seat to put his hands gently on Donghyuck’s shoulders. “It happens to every crew every once in a while, it’s not-” Donghyuck steps away from Mark at the speed of light.

 

“Don’t sweet talk to me into saying it’s not a big deal.” His tone is borderline scary. He then looks at Jisung, “When this happens with other teams, they have another backup memory card. But guess what? We don’t have the budget for that yet. So now we only have one fully functioning camera. Congratulations.” Donghyuck gives everyone a pointed look before leaving the room.

 

Mark gets up but Jaemin pulls him down gently.

 

“Let me do some damage control.” he says, getting up and following Donghyuck.

 

Mark sits down and they continue to eat in silence. Renjun scans the room tiredly. Jisung is still looking at the floor, devastated. Chenle looks at him with a tiny smile.

 

“I can buy the memory card tomorrow,” he looks at Jisung. “If Jisung comes with me.” Renjun nods and sends him a grateful look. Jeno intervenes quietly.

 

“All the rushes are copied to my disk, but I honestly don’t want to look at them now.”

 

“That’s fine. We’ve got tomorrow off anyway.” Renjun says understandably. He pulls Jaemin’s notebook to himself. “According to Nana’s schedule, this episode is due by the time we get back.” Jeno nods while eating a strawberry yogurt.

 

“Good, cause Mark, you got some work to do.” he raises his eyebrows. Mark sighs before sipping from his mug.

 

“ _ We’ll fix it in post. _ ” he says in a high pitched voice and everyone lets out a light hearted laugh. “I’m calling it a night. Renjun, I think I’ve been kicked out of my room for the night, shall we do it like old times?” he cackles quietly while Renjun hits him lightly.

 

“Just go, I can’t sleep yet.” Mark takes a bow before leaving the room. Jeno gets up as well.

 

“I’m gonna go too, don’t wake me up tomorrow.” He gently pats Jisung’s shoulder before retreating to one of the rooms. There’s a sniffle and Renjun watches Yukhei quickly move next to Jisung’s side hug him sideways.

 

“It’s okay, buddy. We all make mistakes sometimes, especially when we’re just starting,” he says quietly. Jisung nods lightly, bringing his hand to clean his nose.

 

“Yeah, don’t take Hyuck’s words to heart; he panics too much when things don’t go how he planned.” adds Renjun. “You know, on his first time working with a professional crew he forgot to print the callsheets and had to hand write everything.” Jisung giggles. “Everything will be okay. For what it’s worth, I think you’re very competent and that Jeno would go into some editing coma without you.” He ruffles the youngest’s hair affectionately. Yukhei looks up with a warm smile.

 

“Dude, you know the most useless person here is me, don’t come for my title!” exclaims Chenle from the other corner of the table. The four of them burst out laughing. 

 

“No you’re not, dumbass.” Renjun says, squeezing Chenle into a hug. “Now go rest.” The youngest two say their good nights and leave, and Renjun’s heart is at least a little lighter than before. He sits down on the couch, closing his eyes and sighing tiredly. He hears Yukhei’s footsteps and feels him sit down next to him.

 

“Hey,” Yukhei says quietly “That was nice of you.” Renjun opens his eyes to find Yukhei’s face just a few inches away. He wills himself not to blush.

 

“You started it, I just followed up.” He shrugs looking at his own hands. They sit in silence for a while.

 

“What did Mark mean with ‘like old times’?” Yukhei asks. There’s a layer to his tone Renjun’s not quite familiar.

 

“Oh.” he says, not expecting the question “When we met back in uni, we used to go hang out at each others dorms and especially during winter we’d get too lazy to go back so we just stayed the night. Mark sleep talks though, so it’s kind of annoying.” He scrunches his face up in fake annoyance. Yukhei giggles quietly.

 

“Do you think him and Donghyuck will be okay?” he whispers. Renjun nods.

 

“Hyuck can get a little hot headed, but he always ends up coming down. And Mark is patient.” he answers, his hand resting gently against Yukhei’s shoulder. “Honestly, I think they’re kind of meant to be; it’s not a dumb mistake that’s gonna end it all.”

 

Yukhei has a pensive expression and not for the first time Renjun wishes he’d know what goes on in that head. It’s almost 4am, _ again _ , so he decides to give it a go.

 

“Penny for your thoughts?” Yukhei turns to look at him.

 

“Picture this” he starts quietly, “You like someone. And you’re pretty sure that someone likes you back.” Renjun nods and he feels a chill down his neck. “Problem is, both of your circumstances make it weird for you to be together and it feels pretty risky to jump into a more serious thing.” Renjun tightens his hand on Yukhei’s shoulder, who has laid a hand on Renjun’s thigh. “What would you do?”

 

Renjun’s mind is running at a 1000 miles per hour.

 

“Logically, if it’s weird and risky it just means trouble.” he answers unsure. “But if you really want to be together, you’d be willing to throw logic out the window. And face the consequences of that.” he looks back at Yukhei.

 

The latter leans towards him slowly.

 

“Can I?” he asks gently. Renjun’s brain doesn’t even process the meaning of that before nodding. 

 

He closes his eyes and feels Yukhei’s lips on his. It’s not fireworks or birds singing or some kind of dumb fantasy thing. Yukhei’s lips are plump and smooth and Renjun’s sure he’s been lathering on lip balm in anticipation for this moment. It’s nice, warm, comforting and above all, addicting.  _ How the fuck have I lived without knowing this before? _ His hands have moved to Yukhei’s head, to run his fingers through the short hair. Renjun’s heart is beating so fast that all he can hear is his own heartbeat and his little gasps for air. Which remind him, _ I should be breathing _ .

 

He pulls apart gently, probably looking starstruck and very confused. Yukhei has a small but gentle smile. 

 

“Are you going to follow your brain or your heart?” he says before getting up. “Goodnight.”

 

Renjun is left alone on the couch blankly staring at the ceiling. He should probably sleep on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> drama? in a crew? more likely than u think  
> smash like if you have a big crush on wong yukhei
> 
> i'm not gonna go into detail about nana's bf in this story but if you read my [markhyuck uni au](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1190410) you prolly know who it is.  
> anyways, sorry for the wait, i'm back in uni rip but i'll try to update the next (and last) chapter soon.  
> where do they come from, where will they go?  
> if you want spoilers - or just to cry over nct - hit me up on [the bird app](https://twitter.com/ridikunlous)


	3. The Strange 375 Bus and Other Beijing Myths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **xuxi** [15:57]  
> aY  
> we’re gonna talk about dragons???  
> fucking amazing  
> omg  
> i love my job  
> junnie you’re the best!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a little warning: there's mentions of death and blood (like 1 sentence) on the bus scene. also i did tons of research for this and i tried to stay as truthful as possible, but if i've missed/gotten anything wrong, please let me know!
> 
> once again, huge thanks to [jinnieshyun](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jinnieshyun/pseuds/jinnieshyun) for beta'ing this chapter!

“You look like shit.”

 

Renjun groans, half annoyed and half still asleep, at Mark’s rude words. The clock on the bedside table marks 9:54. The older is sitting up, back leaning on the wall and a book on his hands. _ Big nerd energy _ . He looks like he didn’t sleep much as well. Renjun looks at the ceiling and sighs. Mark closes the book, puts it back on the night table and lies on his side, facing Renjun.

 

“Do you regret dating Hyuck in moments like these?”

 

Mark hums in acknowledgement, but remains quiet for a while.

 

“Yeah, sometimes,” he says quietly, playing with a loose thread of the comforter. “Sometimes I wonder if wouldn’t be easier to work and get home to someone who has no idea what I do all day. And every time I come to the same conclusion.” Renjun looks at him expectantly. “That I’d prefer being with Hyuck over a thousand times. It just works.”

 

“ _ Clearly _ .” Renjun rolls his eyes. Mark hits him in the shoulder, but there’s a playful grin on his lips.

 

“Do you know how many inside jokes we have because of the show? Do you know how nice it is to be able to talk about work and have him  _ understand _ what you do?” Marks eyes are sparkling with excitement. “And you know what? We get to spend time together, working on our team dynamic, travelling with friends. Isn’t that the life?”

 

Yes, that _ is  _ the life. How many nights has Renjun gotten home, sat on his tiny kitchen table and looked out of his window wishing he could share with someone how funny it was when Chenle asked if a  _ croquis _ was some type of snack? Or, when Jisung tried cooling down the lights by waving a piece of paper? But there was no one to do so. Especially not someone who’d understand. 

 

“Doesn’t it get...tiring?” Renjun asks quietly after a while. Mark smiles at him.

 

“Don’t you guys do monthly slumber parties, to quoting Hyuck,  _ ‘bitch in peace’ _ ?”

 

Renjun snorts at the memories of him Donghyuck and Jaemin watching the three High School Musical movies with loads of food and drinks — that ended up being mostly them gossiping about the drama in the company and just singing along to the songs. Mark  _ is _ right, being in a relationship doesn’t mean spending  _ all  _ of your time together.

 

“I know you hate being wrong, so I’ll just let you...overthink I guess,” Mark says, starting to get up. Renjun quickly holds his arm. Last night’s events keep plaguing his mind and, although it’s gonna cost quite a bit of his dignity, Renjun reckons he is in need of sharing what happened and how he’s feeling. Mark is his longest friend and someone he considers mildly successful at _ dating.  _

 

“I want to talk to you about something...” he says elusively. Mark sits back down on the bed with a suspicious look. Renjun sighs. “Make yourself comfortable, the  _ tea is scorching _ .”

 

☽

 

Kun and Sicheng’s blurry faces appear on screen, sending a dash of relief to Renjun’s heart.

 

“Hey kiddo!” says Kun with a big grin. “What’s up?”

 

“We’re on our way to the airport,” Renjun reports robotically. “Please confirm you’re picking us up.” Kun laughs, but he can see Sicheng not buying his act.

 

“Ayo Kun!” Yukhei says loudly, leaning his head on Renjun’s shoulder, trying to appear on the screen.

 

“Xuxi! How was Hong Kong?”

 

“Great! You know-”

 

Renjun drowns out the conversation as he stares out the window of the bus. He can see Mark looking at him from the seat in front. He ignores him. The scenery slowly blurs itself, sending Renjun into a visual void of memories. He’s never been good at dealing with his feelings internally, it’s always so messy he just discards them aside and carries on with whatever distraction is the most appealing — usually work. Jaemin was very correct. 

 

After his conversation with Mark, his mind feels clearer. Facts: Yukhei likes him and Renjun likes him too. Pros: he already knows they have a good dynamic, which is approved by the whole crew, Taeyong and the 50k people that watch them weekly on Youtube. Cons: having to work together. There’s a lot more to both sides, but these seem to be the two he’s stuck between. 

 

His mind brings up their first time meeting. After sending the pilot episode of  _ Renjun’s Ghost Hunting Guide  _ to Taeyong’s office, they had gotten approval with one condition — they had to have a second host, specifically someone who’d contrast with Renjun’s darker and serious persona. A casting was set, and sure enough, loads of people turned up. Till this day, Renjun believes no one could ever beat Yukhei’s entrance on the set, who very proudly said he didn’t believe in ‘ _ any of this ghost bullshit _ ’, but that he thought the co-host was ‘ _ real pretty _ ’ and  _ ‘kind of scary _ ’. Needless to say, everyone wanted him.

 

Renjun smiles lightly at the thought and his resolve becomes a little bit stronger.  _ Maybe, maybe we could. _

 

“Junnie?” Yukhei says, bringing him back to reality. ”Kun asked you a question.” He’s still very close.

 

“Ah, sorry, zoned out.” He tries not to feel too affected.

“Any reports I should know before you guys arrive?” Kun asks.

 

“Uh, yeah. So our shoot in Hong Kong kind of went to shit,” he says as nonchalantly as possible, but Kun still looks like he just saw a ghost. Appropriate. “Jeno hasn’t rewatched the rushes, but I’m pretty sure we’re going to have to scratch this one out.”

 

“ _ Renjun- _ ” Kun’s tone is stern and it makes the hairs at the back of his neck rise out of embarrassment.

 

“I have an idea to discuss with you to, you know, make up for what we lost.”

 

“Okay, good. I’ll wait for it.” Kun says with a dash of relief. “Have a safe flight, I’ll be waiting for you at the terminal.”

 

☽

 

He didn’t think it would be this bad, but  _ shit _ , it was really fucking awful. Renjun has to clamp his hand over Jeno’s mouth to prevent the cries of ( _ internal _ ) pain from scaring the entire plane.

 

“ _ Jaemin’s in the fucking frame! The entire 10 minutes, all the fucking takes, I- _ ” Jeno’s eyes have a layer of gloss and Renjun really feels for him. The cameraman brings his hands to his eyes and breathes in and out quickly. 

 

“Don’t panic, please,” Renjun asks him quietly, bringing his hands to rub Jeno’s arms gently but firmly. The latter lays his head on Renjun’s shoulder and sighs heavily.

 

“I can’t edit this, it’s a joke, a fucking joke.” his voice is watery. Renjun  _ shhs _ him quietly.

 

“It’s gonna be okay.” he says “I was prepared for the eventuality of us — or destiny,  _ who the fuck knows _ — fucking up.” Jeno sniffles.

 

“You’re the best.” he snuggles against Renjun’s shoulder, who soothingly pets Jeno’s hair. 

 

☽

 

“I have to say, I’m really impressed,” Kun says after looking through the three scripts. Renjun tries not to feel too confident about this small win, but a victory is always an ego booster, no matter how insignificant. “It’s got my seal of approval,” he says with a dashing smile. 

 

Arriving in Beijing was a lot smoother than any of the other locations so far, mostly due to Kun being the best and picking the eight of them up at the airport. This time they’re dividing in groups of four, half staying at Kun and Ten’s apartment and the other half staying with Sicheng. After dropping off everyone, Renjun, Donghyuck and Jaemin went with Kun to the Chinese branch office for a quick — _ but really efficient  _ — production meeting.

 

“Anything you’d like to add Sicheng?”

 

“Not really,” he says. “I’m guessing you haven’t scheduled this yet, or even planned the shoot?” At Renjun’s shake of head Sicheng grins.  _ Oh no _ .

 

“Well, I might have an idea...Donghyuck and Jaemin, your input is particularly important for this.” the two little devils grin as well, sensing what might be Sicheng’s suggestion. “I was reading through the comments of the last season and a majority of your fans have been suggesting you and Yukhei doing a ‘ _ scary challenge _ ’ by yourselves.” he picks up one of the scripts “This one seems like the perfect opportunity, don’t you think?” Jaemin and Donghyuck nod eagerly.

 

“I’m pretty sure we have two  _ GoPros  _ lying around...” Kun adds. Renjun feels betrayed. Everyone is looking at him.  _ Is this considered peer pressure? _

 

“I mean...if the fans are asking for it...I guess...” he says, swallowing the remaining bits of his pride.  _ You had none to begin with _ . 

 

“Fantastic, I’ll talk to Taeyong about the change of plans.” Renjun sends Kun a grateful look. “But now, scheduling.”

 

Jaemin and Donghyuck pull out their journals. Donghyuck has a clean sheet ready.

 

“Ideally we can do this in two days.” he starts off “We can film these two tomorrow — one in the morning till lunch time and this one at night and the third and final one the night after.” Kun nods.

 

“How do we get to the locations though?” Jaemin chimes in.

 

“I can drive you, I’m free both days to help any ongoing productions.” Sicheng replies. Jaemin takes notes with a satisfied grin.

 

“Do you think we can use the studios? I think this might require the ‘ _ sitting down explanation _ ’ but we won’t have enough time to film it once we’re back in Seoul.” Donghyuck gives Kun a kicked puppy eye look, and the latter promptly laughs.

 

“Of course! We’re a part of the company, just in a different country. I’m guessing you’ll want to film there after shooting on location.” At Donghyuck’s nod, Kun takes his phone, quickly typing something.

 

“I’ll book studio 3 for you guys, no worries. Brilliant recovery, now go rest and charge your batteries for tomorrow!” Kun says while getting up. He ruffles everyone’s hair — including Sicheng’s — and just before exiting he sing-songs “Don’t forget your paperwork!”  _ I won’t _ Donghyuck sing-songs back. 

 

The four of them debate timings, food, equipment needed and transportation to finalize the callsheet for the three-day shoot. Donghyuck sends everything to the crew group chat and excitement is quickly spread out even though the remaining four are supposedly sightseeing with Ten.

 

**junnie** [15:47]

have y’all seen the scripts?

all in favor say ay

 

**mork** [15:50]

ay

this is actually dope

 

**jisungie** [15:53]

ay

sounds cool

 

**jeno** [15:53]

ay

finally some daylight ugh

 

**lele** [15:55]

ay

duuuude

 

**xuxi** [15:57]

aY

we’re gonna talk about dragons???

fucking amazing

omg

i love my job

junnie you’re the best!!

 

**hyuck** [15:59]

this is a flirt free zone

if mark and i aren’t allowed, neither are u

smh :/

 

**nana** [16:00]

you’re just jealous you don’t get to talk about dragons

 

☽

 

“On this week’s episode of  _ Renxi’s Ghost Hunting Guide _ we’re covering the strange 375 bus and other Beijing myths as part of our ongoing journey to prove Yukhei  _ he’s fucking wrong. _ ” the familiar words leave Renjun’s mouth and he can’t help but smile “For this episode we decided to change up the setting. Instead of just one case...”

 

“We’re covering three myths and legends of Beijing! Plus, we’ve got a special surprise for all of you who have been requesting” Yukhei makes a dramatic pause “ _ an interesting challenge. _ ” he winks at the camera.

 

“So, sit back, get a snack -”

 

“Shouldn’t it be ‘get a snack’  _ and then _ ‘sit back’?”

 

“ _ Yukhei- _ ”

 

There’s a cough behind the camera.

 

“So, sit back and enjoy!”

 

☽

 

Beixinqiao’s bridge looks quite disappointing after reading about its story, Renjun notes, trying not to feel too bad. Donghyuck is ready to have a breakdown but Renjun  _ is not having it _ .

 

“Let’s start on the main street and make our way to the bridge!” he suggests quickly. Jeno and Jisung are already set and quickly back him up.

 

“Yeah Hyuck, movement is good to...do...camera stuff.“ Jeno adds ”We can also loads of motion graphics and stuff afterward anyway.” he says as dismissively as possible. Donghyuck looks unsure but nods anyway. Mark snickers behind him and mouths ‘ _ We’ll fix it in post _ ’.

 

The crew moves quickly; there’s no time to lose. Sicheng has been watching them work amusedly, occasionally offering some guidance.

 

“Nice save.” Yukhei tells him as the two of them stand side by side, waiting for the crew to give them the thumbs up to start. Renjun shrugs, unsure of what to answer back. Yukhei is staring at him with a sad smile. 

 

“Why do you look like a kicked puppy?” he asks instead, and immediately regrets the harsh tone. Yukhei looks away. Renjun is ready to apologize but Donghyuck is telling them to focus.

 

“3, 2, 1...rolling!” Jeno announces.

 

“Action!”

 

They walk a couple of steps away from the station. Renjun clears his throat and begins.

 

“Today we are in Beixinqiao to cover a really interesting myth...” He keeps his hands behind his back.

 

“It involves drama, chaos and dragons!” Yukhei announces. “What more could you want?” Renjun nods.

 

“That’s right! We’re talking about Beixinqiao’s Dragon. Now, this myth dates back to the Ming dynasty, when a lot of building happened in Beijing as it became the capital.” His tone is calm and Yukhei is nodding along, as usual. “Well, around this area,” He gestures vaguely, “People found an  _ Eye of the Ocean _ .” Yukhei gasps.

 

“You mean like a hole on the ground that just pours water endlessly?” he asks, furrowing his brows. Renjun nods.

 

“Precisely. It was believed to reach into the depth of the sea. And it was a real struggle to make it, you know,  _ not flow anymore _ . People legit thought it was going to flood the entirety of Beijing.” Renjun adds.

 

“Serious business, hm.”

 

☽

 

“Now, I have a question.” Yukhei interrupts, accidentally slapping the desk too hard. He’s too tall for the desk but apparently, people find that endearing - and unsurprisingly, so does Renjun.

 

“Shoot.”

 

“How much effort do you think they put into  _ actually _ suppressing the water? Also, what do you think they used?” he says, his tone too serious to be a joke.

 

“If they were afraid of flooding Beijing, I’m sure it was  _ pretty fucking serious _ .” Renjun deadpans.

 

“How big was the hole though?” There’s a dramatic pause and they both break into a fit of giggles. After recovering, Renjun answers more lightheartedly.

 

“I don’t know, but they built a bridge over it, so I guess big enough.”

 

☽

 

“Now, there wasn’t just any reason why this was happening.” They’re walking into the street of the intended monument. “At the time there was an old dragon going around, making trouble in Beijing.”

 

“Imagine your daily problems being caused by a dragon. Man, 14th-century kids had it best.” Yukhei pouts. The cold wind has made his cheeks pinker than usual.

 

“For our western viewers, Chinese dragons command water and rainfall, not fire. So it was clear to everyone that he was the problem for the  _ Eye of the Ocean _ .” Renjun turns to the camera. “It was decided to call Liu Bowen,  a Chinese military strategist, philosopher, statesman and poet. ”

 

“Wait, a military strategist  _ and _ a poet?” Yukhei says incredulously.“How badass!” Renjun nods. 

 

“It gets even better, he was able to tame the dragon and lock him in a well around here, stopping the water from flooding the city. The dragon obviously didn’t want to be imprisoned forever so he asked Liu Bowen when he could be released.” Renjun carries on. Yukhei’s eyes are wide and he’s carefully listening to every word. “He promised the dragon he would build a bridge over the well and that he’d be let out when the bridge became old.”

 

“And the dragon agreed? I feel like he’s about to be played...” Yukhei says, with a dash of concern for ( _ probably? _ ) the dragon.

 

“Yeah, he did. Mostly because he had a really long life span.” Renjun explains. “But you’re correct, Liu Bowen tricked him and named the place where the dragon was locked  _ Beixinqiao _ — North New Bridge — which meant it would never become old.” Yukhei sports a deep frown.

 

“That’s mean.” he says with a pout. “If they could communicate then why didn’t Liu Bowen just ask the dragon to not flood Beijing?”

 

“We’ll never know...” Renjun shrugs. They walk towards the small bridge. “The actual location of the well is a mystery. It’s thought that it was covered with cement when they built a department store around here. But when the Beixinqiao subway station was built back in 2007, the locals advised the city planners that digging down in the dragon area was not the smartest idea, and so the replica was constructed as appeasement.”

 

“I don’t know if I’d be appeased by that if I was the dragon, to be honest.” Yukhei snorts. They stand in front of the small monument, observing.

 

“It’s not like he can see it either...” Renjun chimes in. Yukhei cackles.

 

“Touché.”

 

☽

 

“Kind of really sucks that they might have covered  _ a fucking well with a dragon _ with cement just for a department store,” Yukhei says leaning back in the office chair. “But then again, wouldn’t that be a great excuse to pretend all of it was real?” he adds with a defiant grin.

 

“Maybe, maybe not. Many parents and grandparents have said they saw the well with their own eyes. There’s also a few stories of people visiting the well and pulling the chains but getting scared when they heard strong winds and saw black water stirring in the well. Take from that what you will.”

 

“Mmnh, I’m not really convinced yet,” he says with a lazy grin. “Maybe our next myth might spook me a bit.”

 

☽

 

Renjun always had a particular enjoyment shooting at night. Probably because he’s not the cameraman — Jeno certainly likes to voice out how awful it is — or probably because while there’s a certain peacefulness in it, there’s also a rush of adrenaline. Standing outside Sihui’s subway station, his watch marks 22:43. It’s already dark and the movement outside has settled down quite a bit, even though there are still people going around. The crew is spread out on the street near the entrance of the station, Jeno, Jaemin and Sicheng are chatting against a wall surrounded by the equipment; Chenle and Jisung went somewhere to get food; Mark and Donghyuck are nowhere to be found - Renjun is about 97% sure they’re hiding somewhere, making out; and Yukhei is next to him, reading the script carefully for the hundredth time. He’s probably just pretending at this point, but the only other option is to talk and that doesn't seem quite appealing, Renjun imagines.

 

“Guys, Chenle and Jisung are back. We should head down.” Sicheng says, bringing him and Yukhei out of their individual bubbles. They both nod and picking up something from the equipment pile and entering the subway station.

 

☽

 

The station’s speaker announces the last train of the night just as Mark finishes setting up Renjun’s lapel mic.

 

“We should come to China more often,” he notes. Renjun raises a brow in question and Mark shrugs. “They got better equipment.”

 

Jaemin claps to call everyone’s attention. They gather in a circle.

 

“Just to recap guys, we have roughly an hour to travel. It should be mostly empty, but still, be as subtle as possible. Don’t scream if you see a ghost” he looks at Renjun. “And don’t scream about not seeing a ghost.” he looks at Yukhei. Everyone nods anyway.

 

“And, you know, be entertaining, please,” Donghyuck adds dryly just as the subway pulls up. They wait for everyone to get off before quickly climbing in. Sicheng and Chenle wave them off from the platform. They’re driving to the end of the line to pick them up. The train is relatively empty, a few students and people in suits are sitting down further away from them.

 

Renjun and Yukhei sit next to each other on an empty row. The rest of the crew sits in front and quickly sets up. Donghyuck gives the countdown with his fingers.  _ 3, 2, 1. _

 

“From dragons, we move on to a bigger nightmare,” Renjun announces, looking at Yukhei.

 

“ _ Public transportation, _ ” he says solemnly. The third station is announced on the speaker and a few people get up.

 

“It’s just past 23:15 and we are on Beijing’s Metro Line 1, a supposedly haunted line.”

 

“Why Line 1 though?” asks Yukhei.

 

“Let’s say...it’s got  _ a past _ ,” Renjun answers with a grin. “Now, Line 1 opened in January of 1969 and it was constructed during the late ’60s. However, it was not an easy process. The early stages of constructions were allegedly filled with  _ dangerous accidents _ and broken equipment.” Yukhei scoffs. He  _ shhs _ him. “People started saying it was the revenge of homeless souls whose graves were destroyed in the construction.”

 

“What if it was just an excuse for the broken equipment?”

 

“That’s some interesting risk assessment paperwork, hum?” he laughs lightly. “Apparently it got so bad they hired monks to conduct ceremonies ‘ _ aimed at securing the blessing of the restless ghosts _ ’. Basically, they promised that the metro would close before 11pm and that an empty train would do a final lap to return the dead to their proper resting place.”

 

“Wait, why 11 pm?”

 

“Supposedly 11 pm to 1 am is the dead’s time of rest,” Renjun answers with a shrug. The fifth station comes up and more people leave.

 

“Dead’s rest? Aren’t the dead eternally resting?” Yukhei’s eyes are looking at the ceiling vaguely.

 

“I’m not sure either, but if it serves you of any consolation, according to folklore  _ the witching hour _ is between 2 am and 4 am, 3 am being the peak time. Ghosts, demons and witches are the most powerful. Maybe they rest until 1 am so they’re fully charged?” Renjun says, uncertain. Yukhei nods slowly, as if processing the information. “Anyway, after the rituals with the monks, the remaining of the construction went smoothly and no problems came up.”

 

“It could’ve been just a coincidence...” Yukhei says quietly, pouting. “Isn’t it a bit far fetched to blame ghosts?” It’s the tenth station and there’s only a guy in their train left.

 

“Well, a lot of people pointed it out that Beijing is quite an ancient city - like dating back 27000 years ancient - and so it’s very likely human remains were disturbed,” he explains. Yukhei makes a disgusted face at ‘ _ human remains _ ’. “And Line 1 serves the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery.  _ Eerie _ .”

 

“Still. I don’t know if I’m convinced.” Yukhei says, leaning back on the subway bench. “Why does Line 1 close after 11 pm now, though?”

 

“I’m guessing since the demand got a lot bigger after the ’60s.”

 

“Oh, yeah.”

 

They fall silent. Renjun’s watch marks 23:40. Donghyuck quietly says ‘cut’ and gives them a 10-minute break. He remains seated, opting to look at the advertisements through the window. It makes him sleepier by the station, the smooth movement getting more and more blurry and-

 

“ _ Renjun _ ,” Yukhei calls, looking slightly concerned. Renjun looks around to find they’re alone in train and there are four stations left. Donghyuck is signaling to start shooting again. Jeno and Jisung are already rolling.

 

“Action!”

 

“So” Yukhei starts awkwardly. There’s a pause and a change in his tone, it’s borderline pissed and determined. “Are you  _ feeling _ anything?” Donghyuck brings a hand to his face, shaking his head. Jaemin is watching attentively.

 

“Well, uh.” Renjun feels like he’s frozen in his seat. Out of all the fucking moments he could’ve chosen to talk about  _ it _ .  _ Yikes _ . Well, fuck it. “I mean, yeah, all the places we go have this different kind of energy. Lately, it’s been stronger though. I think I feel more... _ in tune _ .”

 

“Oh, worm,” Yukhei says with a dismissive tone but his expression is dark and focused on Renjun. “Do you think that will materialize into something? Perhaps a ghost?”

 

“Maybe. Hopefully.” Renjun says slowly, looking back at him with just as much intensity. “It would be great to prove you’re fucking wrong.” They stay in silence.

 

“Cut!” announces Donghyuck. Both of them look at the crew, who are wide-eyed.

 

“Guys, what the fuck?” says Donghyuck, scandalised.

 

☽

 

Sicheng’s apartment is very nice and clean, Renjun notes. It’s just past 9 am and he’s standing in the living room with a cup of tea. Everyone is still passed out, exhausted from the night shoot. He should probably be asleep as well, but the stress of recording the series, travelling, and  _ Yukhei _ have taken quite a toll. Looking down at his mug he wonders how long will take for him to pass out of exhaustion. _ Nice _ .

 

His phone buzzes, lighting up with a text from Jeno, who’s staying at Kun and Ten’s apartment.

 

**jen** [9:02]

rushes from last night: reviewed

we good

except that last one on the train

care to explain?

**jun** [9:02]

it’s too early for this slander

 

His phone signals a call right after.

 

“So, what’s the stitch?” Jeno’s cheery voice sounds through. Renjun groans back.

 

“How about none of your business?” He sits down on the couch and leans back, looking at the ceiling.

 

“Excuse me, I see your face on a daily basis, whether in real life or on the screen, I deserve some explanation.” He complains. “Plus Yukhei has been moping around since yesterday and according to all the tea I got from Mark-”

 

“ _ Mark? _ ” Renjun groans again, in betrayal.

 

“Mark said you’ve been..awfully interested in  _ dating _ ,” Jeno explains calmly. “Now, that sounds nothing like you, but this season of Renxi’s Ghost Hunting Guide has been quite interesting to watch.” He’s gotta be smirking on the other end, there’s no way.

 

“I pride myself in being a great writer, thanks for noticing,” he says dryly. Jeno laughs.

“Yeah, apart from that.” He sounds coy, and Renjun’s cheeks are burning. “I think our viewers really like your chemistry with Yukhei. Dare I say, they ship-”

 

“Jeno,” Renjun whines in an attempt to stop him. “You’re not helping.”

 

“Oh, I’m pretty sure you’ve got enough help.” he huffs out. “It’s just a matter of getting your head out of your ass. That should probably happen soon, you know, Yukhei’s not gonna wait forever.” 

 

Renjun sighs loudly, staring at a blank spot on the ceiling.

 

“ _ I know, _ ” he answers earnestly. “I’m just scared.”

 

“That’s okay,” Jeno says with just as much honesty. “I’d be concerned if you weren’t. It just means you care.”

 

“Ew.” They both erupt into laughter.

 

“You know what, it be great entertainment if you confessed to Yukhei during tonight’s shoot. Our ratings would go through the roof!” Jeno suggests playfully.

 

“And we’d be fired, double kill!”

 

“Hey, that’s not a bad idea...”

 

☽

 

“For our third and final myth and also the finale of the season we thought some fan service was due,” Renjun explains calmly. He looks briefly at the script on top of the desk and glances at Yukhei next to him.

 

“You guys have been requesting many, many things, but this one specifically,” he says, grinning. “So we are delivering.”

 

“We’re going to not only talk about the mythical midnight 375 bus, we’re going to do the same route, but only Yukhei and I. Alone.” Renjun says seriously. “And let me tell you, it was a ride.” He tries not to smile too much. Yukhei cups his hands over his mouth towards the camera.

 

“Spoiler alert: you’ll finally get to see him shit his pants.”

 

“As if you weren’t scared shitless as well...”

 

☽

 

Next to Yuanmingyuan’s bus stop, Jeno goes on a rant about what not to do to turn off the GoPros and how he’ll chop both Renjun and Yukhei into tiny pieces and feed them to his cats if they return with no footage. He’s probably going to be on the next season of the show, just in a different role...a very different one, Renjun wonders while looking down at the GoPro he has propped on his chest. The last bus of the night comes into view, and Yukhei waves for it to stop.

 

“Well guys, best of luck!” Jaemin says as they hop on.

 

The driver looks at them suspiciously but doesn’t comment. They make their way to end of the last row of seats. A few more people board, taking the seats at the front. The bus starts moving.

 

“Let’s get this bread!” Yukhei says to the small handheld recorder Jisung gave him to film the both of them. “Renjun, why should I be scared of this bus?” The bus moves rather quickly.

 

“This urban legend is the most modern one out of the ones we covered so far,” he says quietly, occasionally looking at the people sat at the front. It feels a little more intimate shooting with Yukhei alone. “In November 1995 a young man took the last bus to Xiangshan. Next to him sat an old lady. At some point, three men climbed on board.”

 

“Sounds like a normal occurrence.” Two stops go by. A woman gets out.

 

“Except these men were...unusual. They were dressed in Qing era uniforms.” The light at the back of the bus flickers gently, but Renjun shivers anyway.

 

“They could’ve been just actors...” Yukhei reasons. His hand grabs one of Renjun’s, squeezing it for reassurance. 

 

“That’s what the young man thought as well” Renjun continues. “When the young man and the old lady were the only ones left — besides the three weird men — she started making a fuss saying the young man had stolen her wallet. He obviously hadn’t done anything so he fought back and they ended up being kicked out of the bus.” More people leave. Outside it’s pitch black. Renjun plays with Yukhei’s hand to distract himself.

 

“Well that’s...upsetting,” he says with a playful tone.

 

“The young man was ready to tell her off when the old lady explained that she had just saved his life. Those were not actors, they were not even humans, she explained, they had no legs under the garments and looked abnormally pale. The young man also thought about how two of them were carrying the third, who looked dishevelled and his head was bowed.” The remaining people leave the bus. It’s only him and Yukhei.

 

“Oh, spooky. But still, how could they be sure?”

 

“Three days later the bus was found. It was about 100 km away, close to the Miyun Reservoir. Five bodies were recovered, the ticket lady’s, the driver’s and the other three were unidentifiable and strangely they were way more decomposed than they should’ve been given the time they were ‘dead’. Also, the gas tank was filled with blood.” Renjun finishes, tone still smooth and quiet. Yukhei  _ ohs _ silently.

 

The bus stops and three women come in. Renjun’s eyes widen.

 

“ _ Yukhei- _ ” he whispers, his breath quickening. “Fuck, fuck-”

 

“What-” Yukhei looks at the three women and giggles. “Are you telling me you’re scared of goths?” he’s mocking him, but continues holding Renjun’s hand, grinning.

 

He stops the act as soon as Renjun’s state of shock and fear does not diminish. He’s breathing too fast and shaking. Yukhei puts his arm around him, bringing him closer.

 

“Ok buddy, we’re getting out now,” he says reassuringly. Renjun nods shakily as Yukhei presses the  _ stop _ button. They exit shortly after. 

 

They’re somewhere unknown, the street deserted with just one light pole above the bus stop. Renjun almost runs to the wall behind it and leans on it, trying to calm his breathing. Yukhei comes up behind him, a comforting hand on Renjun’s back.

 

“Are you okay?” he juts out, concerned. Renjun whines.

 

“ _ Fuck goths, honestly, _ ” he answers, voice muffled by his jacket. Yukhei laughs loudly. Renjun takes a peek, lowering his arms. He has his head thrown back and is cackling. Renjun smiles at the scene, feeling calmer. He breathes out slowly and walks away from the wall, turning to Yukhei. The older is looking at him with a soft smile. He hugs Yukhei, burrowing his face on his chest to hide the blush that’s spreading on his cheeks and inhaling deeply, gathering some courage. The older hugs him back without hesitation, but when Renjun looks up he sees the confused look in Yukhei’s time.  _ C’mon, it’s now or never. _

 

“I’m sorry.” he decides to start. Yukhei hums in confusion. “I’m sorry I made you wait and that I said dumb, hurtful things when I just had my head up my ass and was too scared to be truthful with you.” Yukhei puts a hand on his jaw, making Renjun look directly at him and caresses his cheek with the back of his fingers.

 

“I forgive you, to be honest, I expected worse,” he says quietly, but with a teasing grin. Renjun pouts.

 

“Stop the slander, I’m trying to confess!” he whines. “Wong Yukhei, you’re kind of an idiot but so am I, I think it’s time we join forces and take over this stupid planet.”

 

“ _ I acce- _ ” he starts, but Renjun  _ shhs _ him.

 

“I’m not done,” he adds sassily. “I honestly don’t know how you put with me, but ever since you walked into that audition I’ve been trying to not admit I’m not head over heels for you. But that’s clearly not working, cause even if you pick your nose in public, ask the dumbest questions, try to debunk whatever I say on this goddamn show, I still love you to the moon and back and I’m tired of pretending I don’t.” Yukhei’s eyes are sparkling and he has the dumbest smile ever on his face. Renjun thinks it’s his favourite.

 

“Renjun, I put up with you because you look so fucking cute when I tell you I still don’t believe in ghosts after every episode,” he says, lightly pinching Renjun’s cheek. “I’ll be your idiot if you’re mine?” Renjun scoffs.

 

“I asked first!” he whines, pulling on Yukhei’s coat to kiss him. 

 

It’s freezing outside, but somehow Yukhei’s lips are still warm and so are his hands that gently hold his face. It’s a thousand times better, kissing with initiative and, in a way, a purpose. It feels like coming home after a long time of being away, like eating something you forgot you really liked, like seeing the first flowers bloom — a dash of spring — after a long winter. For all of his giant limbs and height, Yukhei is gentle and loving and certainly delivers. 12/10, Renjun would recommend...well, not really, Yukhei’s no longer in the market,  _ ha _ .

 

Yukhei’s phone rings, breaking them off.

 

“Hello? Where are we? Hum?” he says confused. “Oh, OH, sorry, we had to..hum...take a detour.” he turns red at whatever is being said on the other side. “I’ll text you our location. See ya.” Renjun raises a brow at him, he giggles back.

 

“Sicheng was worried we were actually killed by three men from the Qing era.” Yukhei laughs, pulling Renjun towards him again to snuggle him.

 

“Little does he know they were goths.”

 

☽

 

“Alright squad, are we ready?” Jaemin announces. A chorus of  _ ays  _ echos. “Perfect, I declare season three of Renxi’s Ghost Hunting Guide first pre-production meeting open!” He hits the table with a neon pink squeaky hammer. Everyone claps excitedly.

 

It’s been four weeks since they’ve wrapped the production of last season. It was a success in the office and with the fans and also with Renjun’s love life. Now they’re all back in Seoul, sitting in the big conference room — they’re big boys now. Yukhei’s next to him, holding his hand under the table and grinning to himself. Four weeks of freedom did wonders for them; it felt just like a honeymoon. 

 

“I’d like to start this session by congratulating our latest lovebirds and thank them for that brilliant performance on that bus, my favourite part was when Renjun called himself an idiot, I might’ve shed a tear,” Donghyuck says, mimicking wiping his eye. “Also, thank you Jeno, for not telling them how to stop recording, we owe you big time.” 

 

“I accept thanks in free dinner,” Jeno says with a lazy smile, laying his head on his arms on top of the desk. Donghyuck throws him a thumbs up. Jaemin claps to get everyone’s attention.

 

“C’mon guys, let’s focus” he pulls out a wireless remote and starts a powerpoint presentation. The first slide is a picture of Renjun looking disgusted. “I have really good news.” Renjun raises his hand.

 

“I feel personally attacked by this presentation.”

 

Jaemin moves on to the next clip. It’s Donghyuck looking ready to cut a bitch.

 

“Why does this matter to the presentation,” says Donghyuck. The next slide is Mark eating pizza looking sad. No one says anything.

 

“We got promoted, squad! Our budget now covers insurance!” Jaemin says waving his arms around. The eight of them whoop excitedly. “They also want double the episodes!” The whooping stops. 

 

“Does that mean longer shooting schedules?” Mark asks, staring longingly at his cup of coffee on the table. The pointed looks from Donghyuck and Jaemin are enough of an answer.

 

“That’s mostly it for today! Tomorrow we are meeting up with Taeyong to present the outline of the season. We shall contact you soon with all the schedules and stuff.” Jaemin finishes off, banging the squeaky toy hammer on the table once again. “I declare this meeting closed!”

 

No one really gets up or leaves. As Chenle tells Jisung excitedly about this ghost he saw in Xangai, Renjun turns to Yukhei, pulling his office chair closer to intertwine their legs. Yukhei giggles shyly, still surprised at Renjun’s clingy moments in more public settings.

 

“Any plans for tonight?” Renjun asks, trying to be casual. He squeezes Yukhei’s hand playfully. 

 

“Sorry, I already got plans, my boyfriend is going to cook my favourite meal,” he answers with a wink.  _ Smooth _ .

 

“Oh, he is?” Renjun fakes surprise. “Oh worm, I should go grocery shopping then.”

 

“I can go with you, if you’d like?” Yukhei giggles, covering his mouth with his hand.

 

“Mmh, what about your boyfriend?”

 

“I’m sure he won’t mind.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and she's finished! hope that was fun for you as well!
> 
> since sm is separating nct and wayv we're gonna be deprived of yukren content for a hot minute (i'm guessing) ://  
> i'm entering mode: fuck it, i'll do it myself
> 
> anyways, thank you for reading! if you'd like to chat/ask/complain about anything, really, you can find me:  
> \- [twt](https://twitter.com/ridikunlous)  
> \- [cc](https://curiouscat.me/ridikunlous) (if you wanna complain anonymously, wow i just discovered this one eh)

**Author's Note:**

> stop submitting fanfic as uni assigments challenge failed  
> for anyone that didn't caught on, crew list:  
> \- Jeno as camera man and editor  
> \- Jisung as camera man and editor assistant  
> \- Mark as sound recordist  
> \- Donghyuck as producer  
> \- Jaemin as director's assistant  
> \- Chenle as the executive producer  
> \- Lucas as host  
> \- Renjun as host, director and writer


End file.
